Lithium compound-containing electrochemical cells and batteries containing such cells represent modern means for storing energy, with the potential to exceed conventional secondary batteries with respect to capacity and life-time. Also, the use of toxic materials such as lead can be avoided. However, various technical problems including lithium reactivity and the associated cycle life, dendrite formation, electrolyte compatibility, and fabrication and safety problems, have limited the use of such cells and batteries. For example, many lithium-based electrochemical cells include polymeric materials formed from polymerization of acrylate monomers (e.g., polyethylene glycol esters of acrylic acid) on a lithium surface through radical polymerization mechanism. However, the resulting polymers contain ester groups which are susceptible to nucleophilic attack by species present within the electrochemical cell, such as polysulfides generated during sulfur discharge. Polysulfide nucleophilic attack on polymer ester groups can lead to formation of low conductive polymeric thiocarboxylate salts, severing of cross-linking bridges, generation of viscous and low conductive lithium alkoxides, and partial irreversible loss of sulfur.